INSTALL {base} | R Documentation

## Install Add-on Packages

### Description

Utility for installing add-on packages.

### Usage

    R CMD INSTALL [options] [-l lib] pkgs

### Arguments

`pkgs` | A list with the path names of the packages to be installed.
`lib` | the path name of the R library tree to install to.
`options` | a list of options through which in particular the process for building the help files can be controlled.

### Details

If used as `R CMD INSTALL pkgs` without explicitly specifying `lib`, packages are installed into the library tree rooted at the first directory given in the environment variable `R_LIBS` if this is set and non-null, and to the default library tree (which is rooted at ‘`$R_HOME/library`’) otherwise.

To install into the library tree `lib`, use `R CMD INSTALL -l lib pkgs`.

Both `lib` and the elements of `pkgs` may be absolute or relative path names. `pkgs` can also contain name of package archive files of the form ‘`pkg_version.tar.gz`’ as obtained from CRAN, these are then extracted in a temporary directory.

Some package sources contain a ‘`configure`’ script that can be passed arguments or variables via the option `--configure-args` and `--configure-vars`, respectively, if necessary. The latter is useful in particular if libraries or header files needed for the package are in non-system directories. In this case, one can use the configure variables `LIBS` and `CPPFLAGS` to specify these locations (and set these via `--configure-vars`), see section “Configuration variables” in “R Installation and Administration” for more information. One can also bypass the configure mechanism using the option `--no-configure`.

If `--no-docs` is given, no help files are built. Options `--no-text`, `--no-html`, and `--no-latex` suppress creating the text, HTML, and LaTeX versions, respectively. The default is to build help files in all three versions.

If the option `--save` is used, the installation procedure creates a binary image of the package code, which is then loaded when the package is attached, rather than evaluating the package source at that time. Having a file ‘`install.R`’ in the package directory makes this the default behavior for the package (option `--no-save` overrides). You may need `--save` if your package requires other packages to evaluate its own source. If the file ‘`install.R`’ is non-empty, it should contain R expressions to be executed when the package is attached, after loading the saved image. Options to be passed to R when creating the save image can be specified via `--save=ARGS`.

If the attempt to install the package fails, leftovers are removed. If the package was already installed, the old version is restored.

Use `R CMD INSTALL --help` for more usage information.

### Packages using the methods package

Packages that require the methods package, and that use functions such as `setMethod` or `setClass`, should be installed by creating a binary image.

The presence of a file named ‘`install.R`’ in the package's main directory causes an image to be saved. Note that the file is not in the ‘`R`’ subdirectory: all the code in that subdirectory is used to construct the binary image.

Normally, the file ‘`install.R`’ will be empty; if it does contain R expressions these will be evaluated when the package is attached, e.g. by a call to the function `library`. (Specifically, the source code evaluated for a package with a saved image consists of a suitable definition of `.First.lib` to ensure loading of the saved image, followed by the R code in file ‘`install.R`’, if any.)

### See Also

`REMOVE`, `update.packages` for automatic update of packages using the internet; the chapter on “Creating R packages” in “Writing R Extensions” (see the ‘`doc/manual`’ subdirectory of the R source tree).

[Package Contents]